The Truth That You Refuse
by DarthAJ
Summary: Timeframe: AU JAT Characters: Luke, OC, Leia, Han Angst, Thriller, Epic Not having a clue as to where he is, Luke wakes up to a disquieting reality. Notes: I don’t own these characters, I just play with them.
1. Observation

**The Truth That You Refuse**

Chapter 1: Observation

_"There are moments when even to the sober eye of Reason, the world of our sad humanity must assume the aspect of Hell"-Edgar Allan Poe_

The blue twinkle of Luke Skywalker's eyes was revealed when he awoke from his deep slumber. His aunt had always described them as the depths of a nebula, beautiful colors that only the Gods themselves could have imagined. Uncle Owen more bluntly described them as the sublight thruster nozzles on the back of a star destroyer. 

Immediately following his sudden awakening, Luke noticed a strange _empty_ feeling inside himself, as if an old friend had abandoned him. Glancing at the back of his hand he noticed the small pores had tightened and formed miniscule bumps. The 'shivers', Biggs had called them, back home on Tatooine, during the rare cold nights.

Luke looked further down his body to see not a thermal taun-taun blanket, a frequent comfort for the nights on Coruscant, but instead the black, skintight Jedi uniform he had grown accustomed to wearing. Staring up at the ceiling, Luke saw dark stains interspersed between cracks where plant roots had pushed their way through, although it was hard to see much in the dimly lit room. Propping himself up with his elbows, the Jedi master noticed that the walls were completely barren of decoration except for the occasional stain. _Where am I?_

Come to think about it, he could not recall the last place he had been. The only thing that came to his mind was going to see Mon Mothma for the approval of something… 

At the far end of the room facing him, a metal door stood with a small view-port on top and what looked like a sliding entrance at the bottom. As if on cue, the miniature door at the bottom slid open to allow the passage of what looked like a tray.

"Hey!" Luke shouted, trying to garner the attention of the person on the other side. But by the time he had yelled the door had slid shut again. Examining it closer, Luke saw what he recognized to be at least a dozen or so ration cubes and a tall bottle of water. Hardly a 'meal' if you asked him; even the emergency food inside his starfighter had been better than this. Nevertheless, he ate was given to him. Enhanced by artificial chemicals, the rations' flavor matched their dietary equivalent.

The logical amount of water he drank afterwards was a small portion of the total container. _Better to sacrifice privileges than to divulge in my desires. _After all, he knew not when he would get another 'meal'. 

Finished with his food, the Jedi stood up and shuffled to the door allowing his stilted legs to recuperate. Peering through the top glass view-port, the outside hallway bore a resemblance to his present room: a depressing and gloomy feel. It was only one hall, no adjacent corridors but just a single path with several doors to the left and right until finally it ended with another door.

After a few seconds of watching he noticed that there seemed to be movement at the far end: the door was opening. Out came a figure with a bag covering its face. Luke could only tell it was a woman by her legs and chest. Behind her, a taller man with a well-defined face emerged holding a blaster to her back. He was dressed in a unique fashion with rags and drapes flowing around him. In Luke's mind he looked like something you might find in the depths of the Coruscant streets. 

Reluctantly the captive moved forward, if only to escape the brutal stabs at her back with the butt of his blaster, stopping at a the entrance to one of the doors to the left of the corridor. The man, or _Raggedy Andrew_ he had started to call him based on an old Corellian child's toy, entered a series of codes into a panel next to the door. It released itself with a rustic sound and the woman was forced into the cell by Raggedy Andrew. He closed the door, locked it with the panel and fled the hallway.

There was no denying it now, he was being held prisoner just like the woman he had seen just moments earlier. Thoughts of torture and desperation rant through his head. Along the back of his neck his hairs stood up, his pine tingled down his back, and on his forehead sweat formulated despite the chill temperature. A renegade terrorist group hoping to deal with the New Republic for his ransom? A crazed group of Imperials taking revenge on the government? Or perhaps someone's way of saying "Hello. We're about to conquer your galaxy. Here's a taste of what we're all about." by killing him?

The more he thought about it the more he was convinced that the latter was less likely._ Wouldn't they have killed me by now? Unless…they wanted it to be a public execution. _Leaning his back against the wall, Luke slouched down to the floor and used his arms to cradle his body. In this moment of despair, he looked to the place he could always trust in his heart: his family. Images of Han, Leia and him seeped through his mind, memories that he wasn't sure he would ever have again. Although he had many friends in the Republic, none compared to the powerful bond he shared with the two of them. Closing his eyes, allowing himself to enter a state of meditation, Luke tried to send a ripple through the Force.

Nothing. 

He tried again, this time with more determination. The expected response from the Force that he had grown accustomed to during his life wasn't there. Instead he felt a cold, vacant space like the depths of a black hole.

Using a different tactic, Luke tried to levitate the empty tray.

Nothing. Not even so much as a vibration. His brow furrowed in confusion._ Not those ysalarmi again. _Yet somehow he doubted it.

The minutes passed by, all the while the Jedi avoided the facts: Han and Leia weren't going to save him. There would be no heroic rescue by the Republic. Wedge would not save the day, lasers blazing as he blasted enemy fighters out of the sky. Ben Kenobi wasn't here to offer advice. And the scariest truth of it all: the Force would not be there to aid him. Finally after in deep thought about his future, Luke succumbed to sleep and it was not until hours later when the cell door rattled open did he wake up.

Emerging from the hallway, a young man of his late twenties entered. In complete contrast to Raggedy Andrew, he was neatly dressed, adorned mostly in black except for the white undershirt beneath his heavy jacket. Dark circles were prominent beneath his green eyes. On top of his head, the dark brown color of his hair protruded from his widow's peak; almost like a wave of dark chocolate.

"Get up," the sharp, yet firm voice told him, "Follow me and don't talk. Are we clear?"

Without waiting for a response the man exited the room, while Luke reluctantly followed him into the hallway. As he walked behind him, he glanced to either side of him. In one cell he saw a boy who looked barely of age. In another, the woman he saw earlier was lying in a heap on the floor, with her brown-red hair covering her face.

Entering into the door at the far end behind him, he observed a small, round room with three halls leading out from it. They entered the left hall, which looked every bit as rundown and depressing as the rooms before it. The man entered a series of numbers into a panel beside the door at the end of this hallway and the door unlocked itself. Leaning close to the man, Luke noticed the odd smell of sulphur.

As he presumed, this room was devoid of all decoration with only a table and two chairs on either side. Walking to far side of the table, the man motioned to the chair closest to Luke. "Please, sit."

"Now," the man said, getting comfortable, "Why don't I introduce myself. I'm Lynbe Lisel, and you are Starrunner?"

"Skywalker." 

"Right, of course," Lynbe replied, "let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Where am I and why am I here?" Luke bluntly stated, "I'll give you anything if you just let me free: fame, money, land…whatever."

"I'm afraid that's not necessary. Neither I, nor my master, have any need for your alien pleasures. What I want from you is your corporation."  
"You're not going to get my cooperation if I don't get some answers." Luke said. "Where am I?"

Lynbe looked towards his right then slowly rotated to the left, as if debating his answer. "If it means your cooperation…we're on Coruscant."

And as Lynbe finished pronouncing those three syllables, Luke felt the undeniable joy of hope. Yes, it was a desperate and small thread of hope yet…it was still enough. He had hope that he would see his friends again. Hope that once he fled from this facility that everything would be right again, to fight another day. As these thoughts processed through his mind, Luke felt a spark of victory strike his heart. It was a small step forward to his goal, but a step forward nonetheless.

Lisel spoke up again. "Make no mistake, Skywalker. Just because you are close to your beloved _New Republic_, by no means does that make your chances of any sort of escape any higher." Lynbe continued as if he was reading the death sentence of a hated adversary. "You will not leave this facility, mark my words."

_Man is a creature of hope and invention, both of which believe the idea that things cannot be changed.-- Tom Clancy_


	2. Abduction

The Truth That You Refuse

Chapter 2: Abduction

"Coruscant?" Luke questioned bitter-sweat.

Lynbe Lisel smirked with a wry smile, "What better place to hide you? There are over one trillion sentient beings on this planet. I'll be like finding a needle in the galaxy's largest haystack," A flash of malevolence struck his eyes, "Besides, it's not like the New Republic is looking for you anyways."

"What do you mean, there not searching for me?" _Surely someone would have been suspicious of my absence._ Luke pondered.

"Trust me, they've got far more…_dire_ situations on their minds." Lynbe said, without the faintest restraint at controlling his glee.

"How can I trust you?" The Jedi said, "All this is coming from some maniac holding me hostage for Force knows what!" Anger sparked inside him, Luke tried using an all too familiar calming technique; yet when he reached for the Force, no answer came back. Subconsciously staring at the brown dirt between the cracks in the ceiling, Luke inquired, knowing full well that a straight answer would be impossible. "Why can't I use it?"

"Use what?" Lynbe answered puzzled.

"The Force, where is it?"

Suddenly realizing what Luke was talking about, "Oh, so you noticed. Helpful little trick, isn't it?" The man paused, allowing his mouth to hydrate with fluids, "It's not like it went anywhere, but it's just not here." indicating to the room around them. "My master can do a great number of things…"

"And who is this 'master' you speak of?" Luke went into the kill; hoping desperately that he would finally unravel more of the increasing mystery surrounding his whole situation.

"The matter of my master is irrelevant." He snapped, "Now shall we move along or are you going to continue to ask me the basics?"

Luke waited a few seconds, debating the matter. "One more thing: How'd you capture me?" Staring at Lynbe with his blue eyes, the Jedi crossed his arms in waiting.

The man started to chuckle, "Believe me Luke, it was no simple task. You weren't easy to capture..."

**14 Days Ago **

Steering the speeder through morning traffic, Luke managed a glimpse at the ever increasing Coruscant Prime as it ascended the horizon. Shades of orange and yellow faded away as the calm blue emerged to take its place. Despite the recent events of the Reborn Emperor's capture of Coruscant and the New Republic's reclaiming, Coruscant's beauty hadn't even faltered a fragment. In Luke's eyes, the layers and layers of buildings that reached miles above ground were an architectural brilliance. He supposed that a man could spend the rest of his life on Coruscant, and still not see all of its magnificence. It was a total contrast to the bleak deserts of Tatooine, and Luke personally loved the difference.

Public transports and speeders buzzed by at increasingly fast rate around the Jedi Master. _Rush Hour _Luke smirked. On mornings like these, he often wondered what life would be like as a regular citizen, oblivious to galactic politics. All they had to worry about was earning enough credits to provide for their families everyday.

_I did not ask for the destiny I was given, yet given to me it was._

Luke continued on through the intricate traffic lanes, eager to arrive back at Imperial Palace to pack for the quest that he had been granted to undergo by the Senate. Soon he would travel all over the galaxy, searching through countless records of any sign of Force users. He was to build an academy of Jedi knights…

Using a short cut Han had showed him, the Jedi separated from the lanes into the less dense entertainment district. Holo-boards and bright marquees advertised the new 'in' thing, while occasionally they displayed news.

Today's headline: **Senator Disappears! Vacation Absence or Fatal Foul Play? **

Grinning at the absolute absurdity of the headline, Luke was amused at how the media could twist events. As he speeded past the bright neon green marquee, he glanced back to get a second look, only it wasn't the news that caught his attention. Behind him, a large, red, rectangular gunship adorned with black markings sped towards his own speeder. A disturbance in the Force told him that something was wrong with the seemingly innocent gunship.

Trusting the Force, Luke swerved downwards, not wanting to be in the same area as the gunship. Mysteriously, the gunship followed to the lower levels in unison. Soon as the Luke increased speed, the gunship did likewise and was side by side with Luke's speeder. Within spitting distance, he thought this was finally the time to get a good look at the strange pursuer, but when he glanced over all he saw was the tinted black of the window.

With the wave of his hand, the Jedi Master fooled the driver's way of thought: _you don't want to chase me. You want to leave this sector and find better things to do with your morning_. Slowly, but surely, the red and black gunship drifted behind him, until it vanished from sight.

Riding the glass turbolift to his floor, he shook his head at how strong headed that driver had been. _Teenagers…_ he smirked. A light breeze drifted across the back of his neck…but Luke was in a turboshaft? In haste, he threw up his arms to cover his face—

Too late.

Within the flash of a moment the turbolift burst apart- a fireball of gas exploded outwards in a fury of crimson and orange- glass shattered in thousands of pieces, flying every which way- blasts of heat waved over him in molten temperatures. Desperately, the Jedi protected himself using a small shield of the Force he had conjured at the last second. Smoke and fumes filled his nostrils with an odoriferous scent unlike that he expected from an explosion. It was a vile smell that immediately made his stomach queasy, among other things. Eyelids heavy, Luke dropped to the floor of the still moving lift, but not before he saw the black/red gunship outside. 

**Present **

"It was a test Luke." Said Lynbe. "You survived with only minor burns- nothing that a little bacta couldn't heal. My master was very pleased with the results; very pleased." Still depositing the events of his capture, Luke sat still staring down at his palms. "Now," Lynbe started, "what am about to tell you is very important. Pay attention, as this relates to you.

"Over the last five decades your galaxy has been a total catastrophe: wars, assassinations, corrupted politicians, half-baked prophecies, galactic conspiracy theories, government turnovers, etcetera, etcetera. Mostly that was our doing." Pausing, the man stared at Luke's puzzled expression.

"Let me get this: you caused all of _that?_" Luke asked in utter disbelief. "What about Palpatine and Vader? Weren't they the ones that caused the Empire?"

"Yes and no. From a larger point of view, it was mostly my master's doing." Still seeing Luke's confusion, Lynbe followed up: "Do you believe in a fate Luke? Do you believe that all our actions lead up to an unavoidable conclusion?"

"In a way," said Luke, "yes. If the Force calls us to a path arranged for us, than we should follow that call." 

Lynbe nodded. "Your father, Anakin, was called to that destiny. Unlike what those _Jedi_ thought though, his destiny was not for the 'balancing of the Force'. His true destiny, the one that my master intended for him, was for the rise of order in the universe of chaos." At this Luke muffled a cough in his shoulder. "It was his destiny, as well as Palpatine's. They succeeded of course; there was finally order after an incompetent Republic that couldn't even settle such dismal matters such as a trade dispute.

"Everything was at peace," Lynbe indicated Luke, "until you and those rebels interrupted years and years of 'our' work."

"I don't see how 'you and your master' could pave other's destiny," Luke argued. "Your nothing but a liar trying to take credit for such an immoral accomplishment such as the Empire."

"I'm afraid your mistaken Skywalker. My master not only accomplished the Empire through others, he _is_ fate. He _is_ the manifestation of fate. His powers are far beyond your Jedi powers, Luke. There is no escape from his control, for he controls _everything_. He won't stop until he gets his way. Until your Republic is squashed like the one before it. Until your people are reduced to rubble, running from system to system delaying their end."

_No. He would not allow it. There was no way that everything he had worked far would be gone because of this man. _"You're a liar!" Anger and frustration swept through Luke's veins, swallowing him whole. The thought of laying waste to everything that made his life worthwhile was incomprehensible. 

"Even now planets are being laid waste from because of my master. Do not deny the truth that you refuse, Luke." Lynbe said, determined to destroy all hope in an effort to break Luke. "Your galaxy is _ours_. See for yourself."

Instantly, a small projector device protruded out of the table between them. It flickered on giving a low hum as it started up. In a few seconds the Holo-Net channel displayed itself in the air between them:

"This is Holo-net correspondent Civoe Caperon on the roof of Imperial Place." A small, skinny woman said, with the backdrop of the Coruscant skyline behind her. "We have breaking news here at the Galactic Capital: reports and photos are indicating that a fleet of unidentified battleships have just jumped from hyperspace to the outer perimeters of the planet itself. No official word has been announced from the government on who or what is up there." She paused for a moment while the picture moved to the sky above. "If you look closely, there is definitely _something_ orbiting the city." From the view there was visible tiny, miniscule dots clumped together just right from Coruscant Prime.

Moments of silent awe filled the room as the projection flickered off. Lynbe looked at Luke, teeth revealed in a smile of amusement. Luke stared and stared at the desk where the projector used to be. Horror filled his brain at the thoughts of what would happen: billions and billions would die even if an attempt was taken at the capital. And if what Lisel said was true, the Republic would have no chance. Luke had to do something to stop it. "I'll do anything, anything if you spare us. I couldn't live with myself if I knew I hade a chance to save the Republic and not take it. Please, I'm begging you."

"I suppose I could let you _try_..." Lynbe replied, letting go a howl of laughter.

_Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.-Chief Seattle_


End file.
